Shoe form



ordinary non-mechanically Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

ouirsn STATES ATI N OFFICE.

JOHN J. ooonnon, or isnins-nronr, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO Elma-EMPIREDOUBLE rrvor LAST COMPANY, OF AUBURN," MAINE, A CORPORATION on MAINE.

1 SHOE roam.

Application filed August 1, 1923. Serial No. 655,093.

This invention relates to shoe forms or stretchers, and is illustratedas embodied in a form of the light adjustable type intended to be placedin a shoe to preserve its shape during the periods when it is not beingworn. 1 I

It is commercially important that such forms be inexpensive and, in rderto. secure the requisite quantity production of each size of form, thenumber of different sized articles corresponding to a line of sizes andwidths of shoes must be very small. Accordingly, and in order that theuse of such form may be economical for the purchasers, the same form'should serve for numerous different sizes and styles of shoes. In viewof these considerations, such a form should be adjustable for length andis therefore usually provided with an expansible forepart which isoperated by throwing down a longitudinally expanding toggle whichunitesthe forepart and the heel part. The length adjustmentisadvantageously secured by making this toggle adjustable in length andmany such constructions have been suggested, all of which have giventrouble in that the adjusting devices have been too complicated to beeasily managed by the inclined individual.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to meet thisdifficulty by providing an adjustable toggle mechanism which is simple,cheap andeasily operated without possibility of accidents, and to thisend an important feature of the invention'comprises two toggle linkswith an adjustable )ivot arran ed to break the ivotal connection andpermit its readjustment by. a mere relative twisting of the links.

Another feature of the invention consists in the provision of a clampingspring preferably encircling the toggle links and holding them together.This readily permits separation of the links to alter the pivotaladjustment by mere manipulation of the links themselves.

These and other features of the invention,

including certain combinations and arrangements of parts, will beunderstood from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof selected for purposes of illusin which accompanying in each toepiece, and which are pivoted at their rear ends at 16 to the member 17,which slides in a slot in the toe pieces.

To this member 16 is pivoted the forward toggle link 18. The rear toggle'link20 is mounted in the heel member 22. :One of these preferably-fiattoggle links, as 20, is provided with a series, of seats, shown as holes2 1, and the other link carries a pivot pin26. This pin,.in theembodiment shown, is not integral with the link: 18 but is mounted in aspring clip 28, of generally U- shaped form, arranged to and hold themresiliently side by side, with the pivot pin 26 extending through eachlink. The leg of' the clip 28 which does not carry the pin has a hole 30opposite the pin the end of the pin may seat. It is obvious that thepin-26 can be disengaged from the hole 24 by relatively twisting thetoggle linksas shown in Fig. 2, and the link 20 can he slipped back andforth to bring tion with the pin. In order to guide the sliding link andto prevent its snappingout embrace the links of engagement with theother'link and the clip, th eclip may have lugs 32 struck .up on it andits lower edge 34 may bebent over to form a channel or guide for thesliding link '20, A lug 36011 the link 20 keeps it from being pulled outlengthwise.

The pivot at 16 is sufiiciently high so that the pin 26 will pass itsdead center as the links, are pressed'down into a shoe, as is wellunderstood by thistypevof devices; I

Thus I have provided a toggle mechanism that has only three parts andwhich can be adjusted by merely twisting the two links upon each other.

those acquainted with what I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States is Having thus described myinvention,

1. A shoe form having forepart and heel v members and an adjustabletoggle joining the said members comprising two pivoted links lying sideby side and arranged to break their pivotal connection when relativelytwisted about the longitudinal axis of ment of the pivotal connectionwhile held in such relatively twisted position. 7

A shoe form havingtorepart and heel members and an adjustable togglejoining the said.members comprising two flat pivoted links, a pivot pincarried by one link and extending into the other, but separabletherefrom when the links are relatively rotated on their longitudinalaxes, and resiliegtmeans for holding the links side by s1 e.

4:. A shoe form having torepart and heel members and an adjustabletoggle joining the said members comprising two links, a

pivot adjustably connected with one of the links and joining them, andaU-shaped compression spring arranged to press against the fiat sides ofthelinksttor holding the links and pivot in operative position. v

5. A shoe form having torepart and heel members and an adjustable togglejoining the said members comprising two flat links each connected to oneof said members and lying loosely side byside, one of the links having aseries of seats, a pivot pinextending throughthe other link and arrangedto engage in a selected one of the seats and a resilientmember extendingaround both links and clamping them iii-the vicinity of the pivot. I a ie 6. A shoe form having forepart and heel members and an adjustabletoggle joining the said'me'mbers comprising two flat links eachconnected to one of said members and lying loosely side by side, one ofthe links havin a series of holes a ivot )in extend ing through theother link and arranged to engage in a selected one of the holes and aresilient member normally contacting with the outside faces of the linksin the vicinity of the pivot and arranged to be spread by twisting oneof the links to permit adjustment of the pivot.

7. A shoe form having torepart and heel members and an adjustable'togglejoining the said members comprisingtwo flat links, one connected to eachof said members, a pivot pin in one of the links, the other link havinga plurality of possible engagemental relations with said pivot pin, anda U-shaped'spring clip grasping the two links bet-weenv its ends andconnected with the pivot-carrying link near the pivot.

8. A shoeform having torepart and heel members and an adjustable togglejoining the said members comprising two flat links lying loosely sidebyside, a pivot pin carried by one link and extending into one of aplurality of pockets in the other link, and a. resilient member holdingthe links together and arranged to yield as the links are relativelytwisted to free the pivot pin from its pocket and permit its adjustmentto another pocket.

10. A shoe form having torepart and heel members and an adjustabletoggle joining the said members comprising two flattened links lyingside by side, a resilient clip e1nbracing them and having a guidingchannel formed between its ends in which one of the links may slip andarranged so that its ends may be sprung apart by relativelytwisting thelinks, and a pivot pin extending through the linksin their normaloperative position, and carried out of engagement with one of the linkswhen they are so relatively twisted.

11. A shoe form having torepart and heel members and an adjustabletoggle joining the said members comprising apair of flattened togglelinks, a resilient clip having flatten-edends claspingthem together, oneend ofthe clip having projecting portions forming a channel throughwhich the associated link may slide, the other end of the clip carryinga pivot pin extending through the1 other link and into the former namedlin r.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN J. ooonnon.

